drug interactions, and to titrate dosages through clinical observation of effects. But even if a
clinician is not involved, all of these factors must be considered. That is the daunting task
taken on by consumers under the American model of CAM, largely outside our private health
care system and our public drug regulatory system, with minimal quality control, without
requirements for standardized formulations, and often without professional guidance for
appropriate use by consumers.
This outline compiles evaluations of the CAM treatments most studied, recommended and used
for mental health conditions, based on the ten principal sources. MHA recognizes that there are
significant inconsistencies and methodological limitations in the published evidence, and only a
few CAM studies meet rigorous scientific standards. Large, long-term, dose-differential studies
are needed, as are comparative effectiveness and patient outcome studies, but few exist for
these CAM treatments. This outline will stress the evidence for those CAM treatments that
have been proven (to the level of being judged “promising”) effective with acceptable risk in
credible clinical trials. Whenever possible, it is MHA’s intent to compare the findings of the ten
sources, making this outline a kind of “meta-review.” It will also point to recommended but less
well documented treatments. Depending on the risk, these are potential avenues of
experimentation if more documented alternatives have failed to provide relief. None of the
CAM treatments surveyed in this outline is truly proven as evidence-based to federal
government drug-approval standards.
These evaluations will change as new evidence is developed. MHA will try to update the outline
with new evidence and corrections as needed, but the outline is current ONLY through the end
of 2012 until this sentence is revised to show the change.
Some authors, and notably Drs. Richard Brown, Patricia Gerbarg, and Philip Muskin, authors of
How to Use Herbs, Nutrients and Yoga in Mental Health Care, (“Brown et al.,” 2009), and one of
the principal sources for this outline, take a comprehensive perspective, providing evidence for
CAM treatments, based on supported by well-controlled studies, open trials, and their own
clinical observations. This approach, derived from both research literature and extensive clinical
experience, is thorough and suggestive, and an invaluable resource for people wanting to go